Three Takeaways From Hawks' Loss to the Kings

Atlanta is 12-19 heading into their next game vs the Wizards

The season just keeps getting worse for the Atlanta Hawks. 

Atlanta suffered their fourth loss in a row last night to the Kings and it dropped them to 12-19 this season. The loss presented nothing new for Atlanta though. Their fourth-quarter and second-half offense was atrocious, the defense had bad breakdowns at the end, and no matter how big the lead got, you never felt it was safe. 

Now, Atlanta's season continues as it was, and the trade rumors are only going to get louder. 

So what are the key takeaways from the Hawks' loss to the Kings last night?

1. The second-half offense was horrible

Jalen Johnson vs the Kings / Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

The Hawks were outscored 64-39 in the second half vs the Kings last night and it turned a big halftime lead into a Kings win. Dejounte Murray was 1-10 for two points in the second half, Bogdan Bogdanovic was 1-8 for three points, and the Hawks shot 28.9% from the field and 21.7% from three. They did not score in the final four and a half minutes of the game and let the Kings get away with a win in Atlanta. 

The Hawks have the worst clutch offense in the NBA and it showed again last night. They have a bad record in close games and a lot of it comes down to execution on offense. 

2. Murray and Bogdanovic continued their second-half struggles

Not only has the Hawks's offense disappeared in the second half of games during their four-game losing streak, but Dejounte Murray and Bogdanovic have gone completely cold. The Hawks don't have enough shooting around them to pick up the slack when those two go cold and in the last four games, they are a combined 20-71 in the second half of games. These are two of the best players on the roster and Atlanta can't win when they play this way. 

3. Malik Monk and Trey Lyles were huge for the Kings

Malik Monk vs the Hawks / Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

Atlanta kept the King's two biggest stars bottled up in the first half. De'Aaron Fox had only five points at the half and Domantas Sabonis had 12. If it were not for Malik Monk and Trey Lyles, the Kings might have been sunk, no matter how bad the Hawks's offense was in the second half. 

The two former Kentucky Wildcats combined for 25 points in the first half and shot a combined 9-16. Monk finished with 15 and Lyles 19, but they kept their team in it during the first half and made a huge difference. 

Analyst Labels Bogdan Bogdanovic as the Sixth Man of the Year Favorite

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